Adjustments… Are needed.

I’m taking 19 units, trying to be as much help as possible at Mind-2-Matter and manage to actually eat good food (and make sure my husband eats good food too).

I’m at “school” like 30 hours a week. Which is sheer torture to me. I’m not a classroom person. I was home schooled. I have been taking “distance learning” classes since they involved watching a class on cable access TV. Online classes were a dream come true for me. This is the most time I’ve spent “at school” in a week probably since I was in the 4th grade. It’s torturous.

I also have to adjust to different standards since transferring from AAU to SFSU. Even at 19 units, I still feel like I have “free” time (which is totally an illusion as I’m trying to do a million different things at the same time). At AAU, if you tried to take more than 12, you were likely to suffer a nervous breakdown. I worked full time and took 6 units for a couple of years while there and that was close to overload too.

I have noticed that concept is more important than execution at SFSU. I have also found that people don’t really take deadlines seriously. I have one class that I think we are about 2 weeks behind in because that was how long it took for everyone to turn the first assignment in. I had it done on time. No excuses. I’ve never seen instructors move due dates before. It has always been turn it in (even unfinished) or get no credit or a drastically reduced grade for being late.

Another adjustment for me is the idea that everyone must avoid having feelings hurt at all costs. (I had a teacher bring cookies to lessen the blow of crits) Some how everyone is supposed to feel good about themselves at all times AND feel like they are important no matter what. WTF? I had a group project that no one was cooperating on. I took the lead and tried to manage it (some how it’s too difficult to use an online learning interface, but these people are online 24/7 for other things). Like herding cats. I sent an email because the project deadline was looming rapidly indicating that people needed to step up and contribute. I also reminded them that we were to submit a list of the group and each individual’s role within it. Apparently this was hostile, aggressive and bordering on violent language. It possibly could have been deemed bullying (seriously? bullying? we’re in college people).

Apparently showing up to class on time is totally optional as well. I have one class that starts at 5:10 and ends at 7:55. There are a couple of students that don’t show up until 7 p.m. The instructor doesn’t take roll but I don’t have the balls to try that. It would be my luck that he would try taking role if I tried to show up late.

Let’s just say that after 4 years of no nonsense, school is to be treated with utmost professionalism and no spared feelings, this touchy feely crap is hard to take.

The good news is I can be out in 2 semesters provided they actually have the classes I need available. But state schools are a bargain. It’s basically a flat rate for anything over 6.1 units. After breaking down my tuition and fees with the number of units I’m taking, the per unit cost is about $70 a unit. Almost as cheap as community college!